From the Training:
Certified Safe & Loved Practitioner

During a school safety meeting, a professional at the table said, “If an attacker gets into the office, everyone in the office is dead.”

I understand the sentiment. 

They wanted everyone to take the threat seriously but that is a dangerous statement to make. 

For many it could be extremely demoralizing. Worse, it could leave them thinking there is no reason to act because the outcome has already been decided. 

The nature of violence is unpredictable. 

That is one of its worst traits. We can study it, learn from it, and prepare people to respond. But we cannot know for certain exactly how events will unfold. 

At Sandy Hook, the attacker entered the main office while the nurse and secretary were hiding—right there, near him. One was so close she could hear his feet shuffling. 

And yet, both the nurse and the school secretary survived unharmed. 

Try not to give an absolute unless you are absolutely certain it is true. 

Instead, give people guiding principles. Help them understand the danger, recognize their options, and act appropriately as circumstances change. Explain how their preparation and decisions will make a difference, even when the situation is frightening and far from ideal. 

Above all, give them hope!

That does not mean lying, minimizing the danger, or promising that everything will be okay. Be direct and honest but encouraging. Hope means helping people understand that a terrible situation does not automatically have a predetermined terrible ending. 

Actions matter.
Both in what we say and in what they do. 

So be careful that your words don’t hinder their actions. 

Our obligation is to prepare people for what could happen and help them make the best possible decisions if it does. 

We cannot do that by telling them their fate is already sealed.